7 Reasons Why We Use The Genesis Framework

Here on Online Income Teacher we have been very open to the fact that we use the Genesis Framework on our site. We feel that it is THE best WordPress framework you can use and would happily shout it from the rooftops to let everyone know. Instead of that (and to avoid strange looks from the neighbours), we thought we’d just explain “why” we value it so highly. So in this post we will be looking at some of the reasons we use the Genesis Framework for our site.

More and more people are browsing the web on their smart phones or tablets, so it is extremely important that your site can be viewed on them. HTML5 makes your site responsive, meaning that the site functions in the same way on different devices without the need for separate layouts. This is great as it makes it so much easier. You only have to worry about one site, knowing that it will display perfectly for everyone.

This was a BIG factor for why we chose to go with Genesis. Just by checking our own Google Analytics data, we were able to see that our mobile/tablet traffic has increased steadily month-on-month for quite a while, with no sign that it will stop. We needed to make sure that our site was responsive, which Genesis has enabled it to be.

Try it yourself by checking our site on your mobile or tablet!

Unlimited Updates, Support & Domains

There is no point buying a WordPress framework or theme if you aren’t going to get free updates/support with it. A month down the line you might find that a mandatory WordPress update ends up breaking your site, so instead of being able to update your theme/framework or ask for support, you end up with something out-of-date and useless.

Thankfully, Genesis offers both of these to anyone that purchases their Genesis framework or one of their Child Themes. It is reassuring to know that you can get in touch with them, any time of the day, and they will help you sort out any problems you may be having. I know from customising this site that that help can be very useful when needed.

Keeps Your Site Secure

Security should be high on any website owners list of priorities. Being hacked can take a long time to fix (not only your site but your reputation as well), so the more secure your site is to start with, the better you will be in the long run.

The Genesis framework has been built with security in mind, with security experts helping to develop the product itself. No site is 100% completely secure, but knowing that Genesis is regularly updated with security settings helps us sleep easier. Factor in other WordPress security precautions that you can take, and your site will become a lot safer from attack.

It’s Speedy

One big factor that can slow down a site is having too much code. If you are using a WordPress framework or theme that is heavy on the coding, you are instantly putting yourself at a disadvantage.

Website speed is of HUGE importance nowadays as search engines use it as a way to rank your site. The slower it is to load one of your pages, the less likely it is to appear on the first page of the SERPs (Search Engine Result Pages). Not only that, but visitors don’t like slow sites either. If they feel they are waiting around too long for your site to load, they will just go elsewhere to find what they are looking for.

Highly Customizable

WordPress alone is remarkably customizable, but Genesis makes it even easier to create the site that you want. As well as some inbuilt widgets that you can use instantly, there are some dedicated Genesis widgets to help you that you can download (which are left out of the original framework to save on speed should you not use them) for use on your site.

One great feature that we make good use of is the ability to select different layouts for different posts/pages. So you could have a sidebar display next to your blog posts, but switch to a full page layout (no sidebars) for single pages. We do this on our prototype page as an example.

Genesis really lets us play around with our site and keep making changes when we want. The fact that this is really easy to do allows us to keep the site looking fresh and modern.

SEO Friendly

We have already mentioned that the Genesis framework helps to speed up your site, but it also supports Schema.org code, allowing you to enhance your site’s SEO performance further. Things like Google Authorship, Facebook & Twitter cards, etc. will all work seamlessly on your site once setup.

We use the fantastic WordPress SEO plugin by Yoast alongside Genesis to really help with our site’s SEO. Both work well together and can really boost your sites performance in the search engines. In fact, we have noticed a BIG difference to our traffic since switching to using both of them.

Great Selection Of Themes

As we have said, our site is built on the Genesis framework, but we also use one of the Genesis themes to help keep our site looking as great as it can be. We went for the Genesis News Theme, which we have customized to our liking, though we could switch to another in the future if we wanted.

There are a whole host of great looking, professionally made Genesis child themes that you can use on your site. Whatever your site is about, there will be a suitable theme available for you to try. All of their themes offer all of the features that we have mentioned above and are really easy to install.

That Is Why We Use The Genesis Framework!

So there you have it, all the excellent features that made us pick the Genesis Framework to build our site on. The great thing is that the StudioPress team, the guys behind Genesis, are continually adding great features to the framework that make our site even better. We are incredibly happy using them and would always recommend them to others.

Do you use Genesis on your site? If so, what features encouraged you to switch to them? Please let us know your views in the comments section below!

Matt Smith is the founder and editor of OnlineIncomeTeacher. He is a Professional Blogger, SEO Consultant & Web Developer, running a number of sites from the UK. Connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn.

http://www.parafriv.net/ Para Friv

I do not know much about this issue, but I think people will be very interested in it. I will share with my friends. Really thank you.

http://www.magnet4marketing.net/ Fabrizio Van Marciano

Hey Matt great post and I value your genuine reasons for using Genesis. I’ve been using Genesis since 2010 and I’ve never looked at another premium WordPress theme since. The simple fact you get unlimited updates forever is a huge bonus for anyone. I couldn’t agree more with you Genesis is by far the best framework available for WordPress. Keep up the great work my friend.

http://onlineincometeacher.com/ Matt Smith

Hi Fabrizio,

Nice to hear from a fellow Genesis user. Unlimited updates are great as many sites don’t offer this. It’s great to know that when WordPress updates, Genesis won’t be far behind, making sure everything works perfectly.

Mary

Thank you for this post Matt, but I really don’t understand what it is. It a framework?

Then a theme? Do we need both if we use wordpress? I am not even sure what to ask. I have heard about it a while but it seems pretty complicated. SO it isn’t like buying a premium theme?
And a child theme is a good idea. It seems to save my customizations.
SO we would buy a framework, a theme and a child theme? I hope this doesn’t sound antagonistic because I have heard many people rave about it. I just thought I might ask some questions now that you brought it up. LOL! Be well, Mary

http://onlineincometeacher.com/ Matt Smith

Hi Mary,

My apologies, I should have probably explained it a bit better.

WordPress is a content management system that helps to run your site. This is what you use to setup posts, pages, menus, categories, etc.

Genesis is a framework that you can install on WordPress that adds certain design features. This is what makes a site responsive (mobile friendly) and arranges a website’s content for different devices. It also gives you the ability to pick between different page layouts (right sidebar, left sidebar, no sidebar, etc.) for individual pages. Above all, it is the framework that is built with HTML5, making a site more responsive to future changes on the web.

A Child theme is a WordPress theme that you can install that allows you to make design changes (i.e. hompage design, colours, fonts, spacings, etc.) without effecting any of the official WordPress/Genesis files.

So to answer your question – You can either buy JUST Genesis as it is to add all the features (mobile friendly, layouts, etc.) and design the way your site looks yourself, or you can buy BOTH Genesis and one of their pre-made (StudioPress) Child Themes to get a site up and running straight away.

The great thing about StudioPress (the makers of Genesis) is that their Genesis framework is included with each of their child themes. So, if you see a theme that you like, you will get both for one price plus unlimited updates for each.

Hopefully that helps to clear things up a bit Mary. Let me know if you have any other questions though as I’m more than happy to answer them for you.

Mary

WOW!! Thanks Matt! You Rock!
I know that took some time to write and it is appreciated. I think you saved me HOURS of trying to figure it out.
You are very detailed and write some of he best informational blogs around.
Most people glaze over a subject and it isn’t even worth reading. Also, most people probably do understand. It just takes me longer. Be well! Mary

http://onlineincometeacher.com/ Matt Smith

Don’t put yourself down Mary, everyone has to start somewhere. I knew nothing about blogging and websites a few years ago, it’s only by asking questions that you begin to learn.

No problem, always happy to help. Let me know if you have any other comments (whether it’s about this or anything else). I can always put together a post for you on a particular subject if it would help.

Mary

Thank you Matt, I truly appreciate it. I am glad I found your site. You have been consistently caring and helpful. That isn’t easy to find in this business. Thanks for everything.

http://onlineincometeacher.com/ Matt Smith

No problem Mary

Judy

Thanks Matt this is great. Have been using a free theme for my site but now that it is getting some traffic I want to make it look a bit more professional. Since this will work on smart phones I think i’ll give it a try.

Judy

http://onlineincometeacher.com/ Matt Smith

Hi Judy,

Yeah, it’s pretty important to make sites mobile friendly now. That was one of the main reasons why I switched to a premium theme. I’m sure you’ll be able to find a decent theme from StudioPress. We use the ‘News’ theme, though there are lots more that look great.

Noyan Sarker

Hey Matt, Thanks for your nice post. I turned already Thesis to Genesis because I think Genesis is top Framework. Today I confirmed after read it. Waiting for next post about Affiliate Marketing Benefit using Genesis.

Munna

Hey Matt,

Thanks for this informative article, We can read the importance of Genesis framework at a glance. I want to know that I didn’t find any demo file in any child theme, to import at my WordPress. It will help me to make my site customize more easily. I don’t know actually is any child theme have demo file or not? Can you explain it a little bit.